Mash The Gas: NASCAR Talladega Preview

On October 15, 2017, the NASCAR Monster Energy Series prepared for the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, one of the circuit’s fastest tracks. Driver Stenhouse looked forward to competing at what he considered his home track. From nearby Olive Branch, Mississippi, Stenhouse had previously celebrated his first Cup win at Talladega, which he followed with another restrictor-plate victory at Daytona International Speedway in July.

Kyle Busch entered the event sixth in the point standings, coming off a 13th-place finish in the Round of 12 opener at Charlotte. Busch held one career victory at Talladega, with an average finish of 20.5 and a driver rating of 80.9. Playoff contenders Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick maintained a gap of more than 25 points above the cutoff line, though a finish below 30th place could quickly erase that advantage. Ford drivers also anticipated a strong performance, as Team Penske had won three of the last four races at the venue.

The race weekend served as a tribute to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had only six races remaining before turning his No. 88 Chevrolet over to Hendrick Motorsports and replacement driver Alex Bowman. To honor his history at the track, Talladega Superspeedway and the state of Alabama presented him with the actual 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., drove to his first career Cup win at Bristol in 1979. The vehicle, owned by the Motorsports Hall located on the speedway property, was taken for a spin by Earnhardt Jr. on the track. Earnhardt Jr. trailed only his father on the Talladega all-time wins list, where the elder Earnhardt had accumulated ten career victories at the 2.66-mile tri-oval.